BEN-HUR [1959]: DVD

SYNOPSIS:
Jewish nobleman Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is persecuted by
Imperial Rome and stripped of his possessions, falling out with
his childhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) in the process. Made
a slave and forced to row in a Roman galley, Ben-Hur saves the
ship’s commander, Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins), when the
vessel is sunk in battle. Adopted by Quintus, Ben-Hur returns to
Rome to confront Messala and is deeply affected by a meeting with
Jesus Christ.

Six years before The Sound Of Music saved 20th Century Fox from
bankruptcy, Ben-Hur performed the same task for MGM. The Lion
sank US$12.5 million into this do-or-die epic that roared at the
box office to the tune of US$40 million and picked up 11 Oscars—the
outright record until Titanic equalled the feat in 1997.

So how well does it stack up today? Very well indeed. Gladiator
might be more impressive with its digitally created vistas of
ancient Rome but knowing that the chariot race arena in Ben-Hur
was built by 1,000 tradesmen, who laboured for a year on an 18
acre site, and then populated with 8,000 real extras gives this
spectacle something no amount of electronic trickery can create:
reality. Some of the effects are a little wobbly by modern
standards and the storyline at times feels like a Sunday school
lesson, but all is forgivable as we watch Charlton Heston smack
his lips and chew up the sizeable scenery arranged by director
William Wyler. Up there with Spartacus and The Fall of The Roman
Empire in the ancient Rome extravaganza stakes, Ben-Hur is also a
very kinky film if you want to look a little closer. The homo-erotic
charge between Heston and Stephen Boyd is barely concealed and
the manner in which ship’s captain Jack Hawkins adopts
Heston after the sea battle goes way beyond mere gratitude. Miles
of leather, bare chests and phallic set design add to the fun,
making us wonder how much of it was deliberate.

Campiness aside, this is a stunning spectacle and looks
magnificent in the 2.70:1 transfer. This was the first film shot
in MGM Camera 65 super-widescreen format and has been lovingly
transferred to disc here. There are some great bonuses included—the
best of which is Charlton Heston’s commentary track. Chuck
might be a gun-loving spokesman for all things right wing and
Republican but he’s got a great memory and imparts an
enormous amount of detail during the three and a half hour
running time. A neat addition is a skip function allowing you to
jump to Heston’s next comment. The hour-long documentary
about the making of this version and the trouble-plagued 1925
silent production is also outstanding—it’s a real
documentary, not an extended promo film. Finally there are
original screen tests with MGM contract player Leslie Nielsen
trying out the togs. Makes you wonder if MGM would have survived
if Heston hadn’t been cast—a bit like imagining
Casablanca with original star Ronald Reagan as Rick. This is a
first-class release and one all serious collectors should own. Richard Kuipers